She's Different
by Natalie Elizabeth
Summary: Set after the events in Linchpin. Sofia tried to tell Castle that she was the same as Beckett. She was wrong. So wrong. Beckett proves this by checking to make sure her partner is okay after all the events that have transpired.


_She's Different._

_By_

_Natalie Elizabeth_

Beckett stepped into the tub and sunk into the steaming hot water. She leaned back against the tub, closed her eyes and panicked. Her eyes shot open and she looked around her. She was in her bathroom in a tub. Not in her car, in the river. She was fine, she was safe. So why didn't she feel that way?

Reaching for her wine she took a long sip and closed her eyes but the feeling of comfort and safety didn't sweep over her like it usually did.

Trading her wine for her phone Beckett stared at the screen briefly before hitting the message icon. She just wanted to see if Castle was ok. At least that was what she tried to tell herself. He had seemed bothered by everything that had gone down. Understandably of course, but she was still worried about him. She knew he probably wouldn't be up for a long intense talk which is why she was going to text him. It had to be something light and funny. Something so Castle.

_I am starting to feel like Lois Lane with you saving my butt all the time._

Beckett sent the text off and tried to relax in her bath but it just wasn't happening. Water surrounding her although hot made her think of the river and of how she nearly died, again. She still had no idea how Castle had held his breath for so long. No matter how many times she had tried it, she still couldn't hold her breath for as long as he had done in order to save them both. The next time he went off on one of his long winded theories she was going to let him go. Obviously talking for so long without taking a breath had strengthened his lungs. Something she would forever be grateful for.

When her phone beeped Beckett took her hand out of the tub and dried it off on the towel she always kept there. She had ruined more than one of Castle books by handling it with wet hands. Retrieving the message Beckett read it and frowned.

_Except Clark Kent didn't get Lois Lane into these kind of stupid situations._

Beckett shook her head. This was bad, this was real bad. She had even used a Superman reference. Sitting up in the tub Beckett knew she had to do something. She tapped at her phone and hung her body over the edge of the tub waiting for the person to answer. She had also ruined a phone by dropping it in the tub to.

"Hello," a cautious voice answered.

"Alexis. Hi it's detective Beckett."

"I know who it is."

Beckett sighed. Yeah things were obviously a bit awkward between them. Alexis probably had picked up on the tension in the room when they were discussing who Castle had slept with and why she didn't care.

"Look Alexis. I was just ringing to see how your father is?"

"Umm yeah he is okay ,I guess."

Beckett frowned. "You guess?"

"Well he sounded okay when I called him."

"You're not home?" Beckett asked surprised.

"No, there was a major accident. I offered to stay and help."

Becket nodded. Lanie was always complaining about being understaffed.

"Oh okay. Listen I was wondering when you get home could you check on your father for me? I don't care what time it is, could you text me to let me know he's ok."

"Is something wrong?"

Beckett bit her lip. She really didn't want to worry the girl.

"Probably not. He just seemed a bit despondent when I texted him."

"You could tell how he was feeling from a text message?" Alexis asked, a hint of amusement could be heard in her voice.

Beckett sighed. Alexis was right. It was just a text message.

"You know what? You're right Alexis. I am sorry for bothering you at work. Bye."

Beckett pulled the phone away from her face and was about to press the disconnect button when she heard Alexis yell out.

"Wait."

Beckett brought the phone back to her ear.

"Yes."

"Dad did seem a bit out of sorts when I called him earlier."

Beckett nodded to herself. Ok so she wasn't going crazy, Castle wasn't himself.

"We did go through some usual events recently."

"It's not that," Alexis told her. "He seems almost sullen."

"Well someone he knew, was killed."

"I don't get it. It's not like he even mentioned Sofia. Do you think he still cared about her?"

Beckett sighed. She had been wondering the same thing.

"I am not sure if he still cared for her, but she was someone he did care about. He cared about her and then he learns she was lying to him all along. He probably feels betrayed. She was someone he trusted. What about all the other people he trusted? Are they going to betray him to?"

"It sounds like you know from experience."

Beckett bit her lip. Yeah she did know a little about betrayal.

"Yeah, some."

"So you can help him?" Alexis asked.

This shocked her. Could she help Castle?

"Ahh. I don't know Alexis. He is your father. Has he ever been like this before?"

Beckett heard Alexis sigh. "Not like this but if he gets really stuck with a story he can stare at his computer for days. Not eating, not sleeping. Not even talking."

Wow that was really bad. Beckett didn't think it was possible for Caste to keep quite.

"So what do you do?" Beckett wanted to know. She never wanted to see her partner like that.

"Gram and I usually try and pull him away from his computer. Get his mind onto something else. To stop him over thinking everything. The trick is to know the signs and stop him getting that way in the first place."

Getting his mind off his troubles was a great idea. It was what she did in the same circumstances. Stop thinking about a case and relax in a bath with a glass of wine and Richard Castle novel. Except that wasn't working tonight. A bath wasn't working to relax her, it was causing her to panic. She also wasn't thinking about a Richard Castle novel she was thinking about the man himself.

"Do you think it would be okay if I went around to your place."

"You're asking my permission?" Alexis wanted to know.

"No. Well unless I need it. I was asking if you think it would help if I went there."

"It might, but I am sure my dad will be ok. You don't have to worry about it."

Beckett felt as if she had been dismissed. Things may be a bit awkward between herself and Castles daughter but this wasn't about them. This was about him.

"But you would be okay if I went and kept him company until you got home." She may not need Alexis's permission but she certainly wanted it.

"Yeah. Okay."

Beckett smiled. "Thanks Alexis. I'll let you get back to work. I know Lanie appreciates all the hard work your doing"

"She does?" the young woman asked surprised.

Beckett stepped out of the tub and covered herself with a towel.

"Yeah. She says she is surprised at how hard you work considering it's not even a field you are interested in. Better than other interns she has had."

"Really? She's not just saying that because of my Dad."

Beckett laughed as she walked into her room to get changed.

"If you remember your dad didn't even know you were going to work for Lanie."

"Well yeah but now that he knows I thought she might just talk me up not wanting to disappoint Dad. He's her friend after all."

Beckett rolled her eyes, for as smart as Alexis was she was also pretty silly. "Lanie isn't afraid of your Dad. If you were doing a bad job she would tell him. And she didn't tell your dad she told me. We both know your father has a huge ego as it is. Telling him that you were doing really well, would only increase that. His head barley fits through the door as it is."

Beckett heard Alexis laugh and she was glad she could at least make one Castle happy.

"So why did Lanie tell you then?"

Beckett smiled. Alexis did take after her father in so many ways. She wanted to know all the details. Beckett bit her lip she wasn't sure if she should tell the young woman this or not.

"Well Lanie came to me when you approached her about an internship. She wanted to know how you did when you were at the precinct with me. I told her you were great. That you had a mind just like your father's, without the childish nature."

"So I got the job because of you?"

Beckett gnawed at her lip. This is what she was afraid of.

"Not necessarily. Lanie asked my opinion and I gave it to her."

"Well thanks I am really enjoying my time here. I should probably go though. I need to get back to work."

Beckett pulled some clothes out of her drawers.

"Yeah. Sorry. Thanks Alexis."

"No, thank you detective. Can you text me. Let me know how dad is going."

Beckett smiled at the intuitiveness of Castles daughter. Beckett hadn't said she was definitely going to see Castle, just wanted to know if Alexis would be ok if she did. Alexis had obviously seen through that.

"Okay bye."

Beckett dropped her phone and quickly changed into her clothes. Alexis had said the trick was to know the warning signs. If Castle was already feeling sullen Beckett had to work quickly to stop him getting even worse. It was so Castle to over think things.

Beckett grabbed a back pack from her closet and quickly ran from her room and over to her DVD collection. She had to pick the right thing. What would get Castle's mind off of everything that had happened. Pulling out a bunch of DVDs Beckett reached behind them and grabbed a few DVDs from her hidden collection. She didn't need Castle hassling her about her DVD choices, but today was different. Today she could handle his ribbing if it meant he felt better. Throwing the DVDs in her bag she made her way over to her cupboards. Again she reached into the back for her secret collection of goodies. This time it was to stop herself from gorging on them. Placing the items in her bag Beckett realised it wasn't enough. This was Castle after all; she had to do something special. Grabbing a large thermos she only used for stakeouts Beckett threw it in her bag before heading out. She still had a few places to stop at before she got to his place.

###################################################

Castle sat on the couch staring at nothing. He didn't really have a choice on the view, the lights were all off. His intention had been to come home, have a shower and simply relax. Once he had walked through his front door the idea of standing in a shower just seemed like too much effort. He had sat on his couch trying to figure out what to do and had simply stayed there.

Thoughts had briefly entered his mind about his father. Who was he? Where was he? Then he let it go. Sofia had lied about so many things. It was in her nature to lie about his father to. Moments before death and she had filled his head with so many questions. It was her form of torture and it had worked. At least briefly. Sofia had implied that she was the same as Beckett and she was wrong about that. She was so wrong about his father to.

Beckett had made him feel better about the whole situation. As they had walked off after being debriefed she had given him a slight nudge. To some, it could have been seen as a stumble on Beckett's part, but he knew better. It was her way of saying it will be okay.

He had put his father out of his mind and that's where Sofia was to. He had been wrong about her and it annoyed the heck out of him. There was some comfort in the fact that she had fooled others, but it still stung.

Or at least it had. Now he felt nothing. For the first time in perhaps his whole life, his mind was empty. He felt nothing. Sitting in his darkened empty house, not moving, not thinking, not caring.

His phone beeping startled him. The glow almost lit up his entire loft. The smiling face of detective Beckett sent feeling back into his body. He sat there and simply stared at the screen as it slowly dimmed. It lit back up again as this time his phone started ringing. He had been in stagnant mode for so long that he couldn't even move to answer his phone. The music stopped and Castle closed his eyes. He felt like crap for not answering the phone, but he just wasn't up for another case right now. The knocking on his door startled him more than his phone ringing had.

"Come on Castle open up. I know you're in there."

Beckett was here? Using strength he didn't have Castle pushed himself off the couch. He made his way over to the door careful not to bump into anything in the dark. He flicked on the lights moments before he opened then door. He was greeted by her infectious smile which made the walk to the door all the more worthwhile. As much as he was enjoying simply seeing her he really wasn't in the mood for an intellectual stimulating conversation. A conversation with Beckett could never be anything less.

"What do you want Beckett?" he asked as he leaned onto the door frame.

"You hungry?"

Castle closed his eyes and shook his head. "No."

"Good because honestly what I have brought hardly constitutes as food."

Castle opened his eyes just as he saw Beckett duck under his arm and enter his home. Castle looked at Beckett and then back at his open doorway before shrugging and closing the door. He followed Beckett into his loft and watched as she placed a back pack on his coffee table.

"What are you doing here Beckett?"

Beckett shrugged. "Felt like watching a movie and you have a better TV then I do."

Castle smiled at Beckett's flimsy excuse.

"I am not really in the mood for a movie Beckett."

She pulled a DVD out of her bag and held it up to him.

"Oh come on Castle it's George of the Jungle."

Castle's brows rose. "You want to watch George of the Jungle?"

Beckett nodded. "It always puts me in a good mood."

Castle laughed. "Yeah, because there is a half naked guy in it."

Beckett shrugged and looked at the cover. "Well yeah there is that. But come on Castle don't you want to see the special effects."

Castle scoffed. "What special effects?"

"Exactly," Beckett told him grinning. "Come on Castle," she said as she started moving the DVD in front of his face. "You know you want to. George, George, George of the Jungle watch out for that.."

"Bang ohh tree," he uttered finishing of the lyrics.

"See," she told him before returning her attention back to her back pack.

Castle watched as she pulled numerous items out of her bag almost like Mary Poppins. He frowned at the box of popcorn she pulled out along with the many other tantalising treats. When she extracted her stakeout thermos from her bag he raised a brow. Was she planning on being there for awhile?

"Ok Beckett what's really going on?"

Beckett turned to face him. "What are you talking about Castle, I just wanted to watch a movie and eat some really unhealthy food."

Castle took a step closer to her. "And you couldn't do it at your own home where you could just sit back and relax."

It was as if a dark cloud suddenly shifted over her face. Her smiled drooped and she bit her lip before looking away from him.

"I couldn't relax at home Castle. I normally go home and draw a hot bath. Grab a glass of wine, one of your books and relax. Except as soon as I sat in the bath and closed my eyes all I felt myself do was panic. It's as if we were back in that river all over again. I just want to relax Castle and feel safe again."

Castle sighed. While he had been wallowing in self pity Beckett had been remembering what could have been their last moments on earth. He often thought Beckett needed to relax more and now the way she relaxed only made her panic. Was that what her text earlier had been about? He thought it was usual for her to text him about something non case related. She hadn't responded to his reply but had turned up at his place over an hour later. Had she come here to relax? Or to simply escape her fear at home. Either way she was here. She chose to come here out of anywhere else in the world

"What's in the thermos?"

Beckett looked up and smiled as she tilted the thermos back and forth.

"Cherry Ripe milkshake."

Castle's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You found somewhere that makes it?"

Beckett shook her head. "Nope. I just ordered a Cherry shake and a chocolate shake and poured them both into my thermos. It's probably as close as your going to get. "

She had made him a cherry ripe shake. It had been one of his experiments he had tried when she had stayed at his place when her apartment had blown up. Ice cream, milk and blended up Cherry Ripe chocolate bars. It had been nice but a bit chunkier then he would have hoped. Beckett had at least tried it and said it was good until she choked on a chocolaty chunk.

Castle grabbed the DVD from Beckett. "Alright let's watch the movie, but I get to pick the next one."

###################################################

They never did get around to watching a second movie. He had tried riling Beckett up over the scene where George is running with the horses, when he realised she was asleep. Asleep in his lap, well her head was resting on a pillow on his lap. They had started sitting close together so they could both have access to the popcorn. When the popcorn was finished it had been removed and Beckett had slide over slightly. Eventually she had rested her head on his shoulder. He had disturbed her when he reached for his glass of cherry ripe shake which was when he had offered her the pillow on his lap. She had been reluctant to accept his offer. That was until he promised she could pour his shake over his head if he tried anything. She had given him one of her famous eye rolls that he was beginning to love before laying down in his lap.

Right now he was glad his shake was almost gone. There were only remnants left in both his and Beckett's glass. No way could she empty that over him for lightly stroking her hair. For a few hours! He couldn't help it. She was laying in his lap looking so relaxed and at peace. He was stroking her hair to make sure she was alive and real and dry.

The door opening startled him slightly. He looked over the couch and spied his daughter entering.

"Hey Dad," she said clearly exhausted.

"Shh," he told her placing a finger to his lips. "Beckett's sleeping."

As gently as possible, Castle extracted himself from under the sleeping woman. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her with it.

"She's still here," Alexis asked surprised walking over and peering at the woman on the couch.

"You knew she was here?"

Alexis nodded. "She called earlier to make sure you were okay. I guess she was worried about you. When I told her I wasn't home she asked if it was okay for her to come here and keep you company until I got home. I didn't even realise what the time was when Lanie forced me to leave. I didn't think detective Beckett would still be here."

Castle looked down at the sleeping detective. She had told him she had come because she didn't feel relaxed at home. Yet according to his daughter she had rung her to check on him. So she had either lied to his daughter or lied to him. At the moment though, he didn't care. He had just spent a few hours with Beckett, not dying, not working, just relaxing and having fun.

"What's with all the junk food wrappers? I thought we banned this stuff from the house after your last big stomach ache."

Castle smiled. "Beckett brought it over."

Alexis picked up the empty popcorn box and examined it.

"Dad this isn't from a supermarket, this is the kind you get at the cinema."

Castle nodded at his daughter. "I know and smell this." Castle picked up the almost empty glass and held it out to his daughter.

Alexis took the glass and cautiously sniffed it.

She frowned. "What flavour is it. It kind of smells like chocolate and what else is in there."

"Cherries. She made me a cherry ripe shake by mixing chocolate and cherry flavoured shakes. It's actually pretty good and doesn't have any chunks."

Alexis put the glass down and surveyed the mess the two adult's had left. Alexis noticed a lot of empty wrappers of her father's favourite junk food and some were hard to find.

"She really took care of you tonight didn't she?"

Castle nodded.

Alexis looked at the sleeping woman again. Her feelings were still mixed where detective Beckett was concerned. She hated the fact that after Beckett had been shot she had disappeared without contacting anyone. Then again the woman did make her father happier than any other woman ever had. Beckett couldn't be to bad if she had called her to see if her father was okay. Most would have left it at that but Beckett had gone as far as to spend her evening here instead of at her own home. Had gone to the effort of buying popcorn and junk that her father liked.

"She's different."

"What?" Castle asked confused.

"Kate, she's different. She isn't like any of the other woman you have dated. Look at all the trouble she went to just because she wasn't happy with your text message response."

Castle smiled. "Yeah Kate is different. I think that's why I like her so much. She's not what you expect and picks up on the littlest detail. I was just sitting here in the dark feeling so empty, when she came over. Even though we didn't talk, we just sat and watched the movie, I feel much better."

Alexis smiled, she was glad her father had someone else in his life to take care of him. Someone who knew him well enough to pick up when something was wrong. It gave her comfort knowing her father was cared for.

"Well I am exhausted. I am going to bed."

Castle nodded at his daughter. Now that he was standing, he could see the time in the kitchen. It was a lot later than he realised. He didn't know how long he had been sitting in the dark for before Beckett arrived. Then after the movie had finished he had simply sat there gazing at the extraordinary woman. He could do it for hours and probably would have continued to if his daughter hadn't arrived.

"Do you think I should carry Beckett to my room?" Castle asked his daughter. "I don't want to try and carry her up the stairs to the spare room; I nearly dropped you last time."

"I know I remember. I think you would be better to leave detective Beckett where she is. I know she isn't armed but I can imagine she could do some damage if she were startled awake."

Castle winced and ever so slightly moved a hand in front of his groin area.

"Yeah. Maybe you are right. Well goodnight."

Castle walked over and kissed his daughter on the head. He then followed her to the stairs and watched her climb them before walking over to the loft door. He checked the door was locked and then picked up his daughters abandoned jacket. After putting it away he dimmed the lights. If Beckett woke up he wanted her to be able to see her way around if she decided to leave during the night. He also hated waking up in a strange place and not being able to see where you were.

Walking over to the couch he stood and looked at the sleeping detective. A part of him wanted to ignore his daughters warning and pick Beckett up and take her to his bed. And then join her. But he wouldn't. Beckett was a woman worth waiting for and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardise that. For now he would go to his own bed and sleep knowing that she was safe. And that was more than enough for now.

Readjusting the blanket over her and tucking it in so it wouldn't slide off in the middle of the night, Caste gave Beckett one last look. Deciding to play with fire Castle ran a hand over her hair, moving it away from her face. He then leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"Thank you for being there for me tonight."

As he walked off, he didn't see the eyes of the detective open, nor did he hear the words that she uttered.

"Thank you for being there for me Always."

The end

Authors Note: Isn't it funny how one line from a character can stick in your mind for so long. From the moment Castle told Sofia that Beckett was different from her I knew I had to write a story about it.

"She's different"

That's all it took for me to get an idea in my head. I also wanted to prove to Sofia that Castle was right. She is different. I know weird right. Proving something to a dead fictional character, but hey you get this story out of it.

So yeah. Took me over a year to actually sit down and write this story. The story itself only took me two day plus procrastinating to actually get written. I just never thought I'd write it but I am stuck with my other story so I decided to get my mind off of it and write some new stuff.

Enjoy, be happy, review,

.


End file.
